Nets' Sean Marks: Mikal Bridges' Durability 'Refreshing' amid Load Management Trend

It's an accomplishment for an NBA player to suit up for all 82 games in a season. The Brooklyn Nets' Mikal Bridges is on pace to one-up that mark.

Bridges has played 78 games during the 2022-23 season, and the Nets have five contests remaining. If he appears in all five, he will accomplish the rare feat of playing more games than any team in the league.

That's possible because Bridges was a trade acquisition for the Nets, who scooped him up in the Kevin Durant blockbuster Feb. 9. At that point, the Phoenix Suns had played two more games than the Nets. Bridges missed Brooklyn's game that night, but his perfect attendance otherwise put him in this position.

Even more impressive, the feat would come during an era when load management is a common practice. Players rarely play 82 games as they and their teams opt to focus on staying fresh for games of higher importance and the playoffs.

But the Nets have been vocal about their appreciation for Bridges.

"You look at how he plays the game," Nets general manager Sean Marks said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. "Obviously, when he was playing in Phoenix, even dating back to college days, the length, the reliability—he's nearing 400 games played in a row. It's pretty unique in this day and age. And for somebody who actually wants to play at that clip is also certainly refreshing."

Early Saturday, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association came to an agreement on a new CBA, with a stipulation in the deal reportedly requiring players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for awards including Most Valuable Player.